- Electoral Palace Mainz
The Electoral Palace in
Mainz ( _de. Kurfürstliches Schloss zu Mainz) is the former city "Residenz " of theArchbishop of Mainz , who was alsoPrince-Elector of his electoral state within theHoly Roman Empire . It is one of the important Renaissance buildings in Germany.History
Originally the Archbishop of Mainz resided at the cathedral, where there is an old private chapel dating from
1137 .But in
1475 , when the Chapter re-electedDiether von Isenburg , conditions were imposed: he had to surrender the town of Mainz to the Chapter, and erect a castle in the city. The construction of this Martinsburg began in1478 and was completed two years later. For several decades, the archbishops lived either there or in the electoral palace atAschaffenburg , Schloss Johannisburg. After receiving damage during the second war with the margraves in1552 the castle was restored in a Renaissance style. ArchbishopDaniel Brendel von Homburg built office buildings and St Gangolph's Church around the year1580 . (In order to make way for new avenues, these buildings as well as the Martinsburg were demolished byNapoleon during the French occupation of the town between1798 and1814 .)The building of a new palace commenced in
1627 on the behest of ArchbishopGeorg Friedrich von Greiffenklau . The Rhine wing of the new palace could not be finished until1678 , construction being delayed by theThirty Years War and theWar of the Grand Alliance . The original plan is not known, but it was probably a four-wing construction, comparable to the1604 repairs to Schloss Johannisberg. It can be assumed that Martinsburg remained standing only because of the delays.The north wing was begun in
1687 , ready by1752 , and furnished in succeeding years. Work on the wing extending away from the river was begun during the reigns ofJohann Friedrich Karl von Ostein (1743 —1763 ) andFriedrich Karl Josef von Erthal (1774 —1802 ). Erthal was the last Prince-Elector of the old electorate. His successorKarl Theodor von Dalberg was both Archbishop-Elector of Mainz and Arch-Chancellor of the remaining Empire on the right bank of the Rhine. Due to the resolutions of the "Reichsdeputationshauptschluss " his seat was moved toRegensburg , which became the new seat of the archbishopric.Delays were due not only to the War of the Grand Alliance, but also to the extensive building activity of the nobility: for example, the
Lustschloss Favorite begun in1700 byLothar Franz von Schönborn absorbed large amounts of resources. That summer residence was destroyed during theSiege of Mainz by .On
23 October 1792 , theJacobin Club , a political group during the French Revolution, was established on what nowadays is German soil. This was the earliest democratic movement in Germany. The last Elector of Mainz was expelled in the same year, and the palace was neglected until1827 , when it was restored by theGrand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt and theCity of Mainz .During
World War II , the building was heavily damaged, especially in the air raid of27 February 1945 , which destroyed most of the city. Of the palace, only the exterior walls remained. It was rebuilt during1948 and1949 , reopened on31 December 1949 , and was the main venue in Mainz forKarneval activities until theRheingoldhalle opened in1968 .Architecture
Stylistically the Electoral Palace is one of the last examples of German Renaissance architecture. The northern wing, built later, conforms to this style. The exterior, with turrets at every corner, is richly decorated, particularly around the windows. The roofs have been restored with exactness. The most spectacular interiors included the Grand Staircase by the leading Baroque architect
Balthasar Neumann , which was removed during the French occupation.Modern uses
Today the east wing houses the
Museum of Roman and Germanic History . An assortment of replicas and valuable original items presents a comprehensive picture of the cultural life of prehistoric times, of the Roman Empire, and of the early Middle Ages.The north wing contains the famous function hall from which the annual
Karneval TV show "Mainz bleibt Mainz, wie es singt und lacht " is broadcast.The Electoral Palace is now one of eight venues managed by
Congress Centrum Mainz . There are seven halls and many smaller rooms, enabling events to be staged for up to 1,700 persons.ee also
*
Mainz External links
* [http://www.panorama-cities.net/mainz/kurfuerstliches_schloss.html Electoral Palace - 360° Panorama]
* [http://www.ccmainz.de/cms/index.php?id=1&L=1 Congress Centrum Mainz website]
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